48 hours of beer in St. Louis

Editor's note: Cicero's has closed.

Whether referring to pre-Prohibition days when breweries dotted our local landscape or to the modern-day dominance of Anheuser-Busch, for more than 200 years, St. Louis has been in the business of beer. In the last decade – particularly the last five years – the state of St. Louis brewing has continued to evolve and transform thanks to the growing number of craft breweries and establishments that support them. Whether you’re new to drinking brew, in town for a visit or simply looking for a reason to throw back a few (dozen), here’s your guide to catching up on our burgeoning beer scene. All you need is a weekend – and a designated driver.

FRIDAY

3 p.m. 
BEER AT A WINE BAR? 
Sure, 33 Wine Bar (1913 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.231.9463, 33wine.com) specializes in wine, but with its six carefully selected draft choices, 150 different brews by the bottle and a cellar that houses everything from vintage Imperial stouts to funky, sour beers like Gueuze Tilquin, it’s easy to see why Beer Advocate consistently ranks 33 as one of the top beer destinations in the city.

6 p.m.
BEER MECCA
After you choose from 40 craft and import beers on tap or 500 by the bottle, you’ll understand why Draft Magazine has voted International Tap House in Soulard (1711 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314.621.4333, internationaltaphouse.com) one of the best beer bars in the country. Add to that a knowledgeable and carefully trained staff, and you can see how owners Brad Lobdell and Sean Conroy have grown their business into four locations.

8:30 p.m.
DOWN(TOWN) ON THE RANGE
Restaurateur Dave Bailey’s burger heaven Baileys’ Range (920 Olive St., St. Louis, 314.241.8121, baileysrange.com) is an ideal spot to grab a bite with your brew. With 30 local beers on tap, available in both half and full pours, at Range you’ll find one of our town’s broadest spectrums of breweries in one place. After dinner, head around the corner to one of Bailey’s other downtown gems, Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar (1004 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.241.8141, thebridgestl.com). Admire the rustic chandeliers made of tree branches as you choose from 55 beers on tap ranging from gypsy brewers like Mikkeller to Belgian standouts like Brasserie Dieu du Ciel. If you are into sours or funky beers, there’s a good chance you’ll find one here.

10 p.m.
IN GOOD HANDS
Words like “industrial” and “sustainable” describe the tasting room at 4 Hands Brewing Co. (1220 S. Eighth St., St. Louis, 314.436.1559, 4handsbrewery.com). Open since 2011, this LaSalle Park brewery has quickly gained a loyal following. Sit at the glass-topped communal table made from the brewery’s warehouse door and savor mainstays like Divided Sky Rye IPA or boundary pushers like the seasonal Cuvee Ange.

Midnight
GROOVIN’ IN THE GROVE
Focusing on regionally owned and brewed beers from breweries like Schlafly, O’Fallon and Charleville, HandleBar (4127 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.652.2212, handlebarstl.com) features 20 beers on tap and plenty of bottles to boot. Throw in disc jockeys, dance parties and one of the most eclectic crowds around, and HandleBar is a must visit when you’re not ready for your night to end.

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SATURDAY

9 a.m.
SOCCER AND SUDS
St. Louisans love soccer, and nowhere is this more evident than Amsterdam Tavern (3175 Morgan Ford Road, St. Louis, 314.772.8224, amsterdamtavern.com). You’ll feel like you’re across the pond as fans sip on beers while wearing their favorite teams’ jerseys and scarves. A recently expanded, always-rotating draft list has plenty of local flare like Goal-Den Ale, brewed exclusively for the bar by The Civil Life Brewing Co., and classic imported favorites like Reissdorf Kölsch and Carlsberg.

11 a.m.
THE GODFATHERS
It’s impossible and unthinkable to talk about St. Louis craft beer without acknowledging the brewery that started it all. Schlafly’s The Tap Room (2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.241.2337, schlafly.com) offers great pub fare and a wide variety of the brewery’s lineup. If you sit at the bar and get lucky, you may even meet bartenders Kevin Nash or Paul Jensen – both of whom have worked with the brewery since its doors opened in 1991.

1:30 p.m.
REVERANCE OR REVOLUTION
Located in a converted 1920s garage in Midtown, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. (3229 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.222.0143, urbanchestnut.com) combines Old World charm with New World flare. Whether sipping on something traditional from its Reverence series, or enjoying a more modern style from its Revolution series, you’re sure to find plenty of reasons why UCBC is one of our fastest-growing breweries.

3:30 p.m.
A PERENNIAL FAVORITE
Travel south to the city’s Patch neighborhood, and you’ll discover Perennial Artisan Ales (8125 Michigan Ave., St. Louis, 314.631.7300, perennialbeer.com), a brewery that is garnering national attention for its unique take on both American and Belgian-style ales. Be it an award-winning, limited-release collaboration like Barrel-Aged Sump – an Imperial stout aged 12 months in Rittenhouse Rye barrels and blended with Sump coffee – or one of Perennial’s core beers like the delicate Saison de Lis that is brewed with chamomile, this young brewery’s offerings will make you rethink what beer can be.

8 p.m.
WE THREE KINGS
With 22 beers on draft, 40 by the bottle and gems like the Firestone Walker Anniversary Series constantly being added to its growing cellar list, Three Kings Public House (6307 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.721.3355, threekingspub.com) is a worthy watering hole. Three Kings’ American take on traditional Irish pub fare is an added bonus when liquid carbs are no longer cutting it.

9:30 p.m.
LOOP INSTITUTION
For more than three decades, Cicero’s (6691 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.862.0009, ciceros-stl.com) has been a linchpin in The Loop. Choose from 55 rotating beers on tap ranging from Goose Island’s Sofie to Founders’ Breakfast Stout and everything in between. Add to that nearly 200 bottles, and it’s easy to find something you’ll love while you sit at the bar or take in a show in Cicero’s concert venue. A trailblazer on the beer and music scene, Cicero’s continues to draw new fans.

Midnight
LATE NIGHT LANES
Close out the night at Pin-Up Bowl (6191 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.727.5555, pinupbowl.com). With a beer list that is one of the area’s best-kept secrets, you can try your luck on the lanes or sit back and people-watch with a glass in hand. From bottles of Orval to local craft on tap, Pin-Up is one of the few places that offers craft beer by the pitcher.

SUNDAY

10 a.m.
BEERS AND BRUNCH
With its dark, warm interior, Dressel’s Public House (419 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.361.1060, dresselspublichouse.com) begs for winter brunching and, of course, a side of brews. While combing through this gastropub’s inventive yet classic food menu, try a brew from the rotating list of beers on cask like 2nd Shift’s Art of Neurosis.

Noon
A NEIGHBORHOOD HAUNT
A stone’s throw from Tower Grove Park sits The Royale (3132 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.3600, theroyale.com). With its well-curated draft list and numerous beers by the bottle, you’ll love the vibe of this South City bar. The photographs of politicians and activists plastered to its walls will provide you with plenty of conversation-starters while you meet your next best friend.

1:30 p.m.
BE CIVIL
The folks at The Civil Life Brewing Co. (3714 Holt Ave., St. Louis, thecivillife.com) took an old newspaper distribution warehouse and turned it into one of the coziest spots in the city to have a pint. Beautifully stained wood is everywhere, giving the space the feel of an old neighborhood pub in Europe. Through March 9, experience Soup Sunday with one of chef Brendan Kirby’s delicious soups paired with one of the brewery’s sessionable brews.